Spring-wheel.



A. SPIRIDAK'IS.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2.1913.

1 $281,865, Patented 00. 15, 1918.

ANAS' TASIOS SPIRIDAKIS,

OF GALVESTON, TEXAS.

SPRING-WHEEL Application filed July 2, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Anas'msios SrininAKis, a citizen of the Kingdom of Greece, but who declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States, residing at Gal vcston, in the county of Galveston and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Springheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improve ments in that class of vehicle wheels which has come to be known as spring wheels, and in which the pneumatic tire is dispensed with and a non-puncturable tire used in place thereof; the resiliency of the wheel being obtained through the use of spring de' vices forming a part of the wheel structure.

It is an object of my invention to improve the construction of vehicle wheels of this character more particularly in the matter of securing a high degree of resiliency combined with great strength 01" the wheel structure, and to build up the wheel in an eco noinical manner consisting of .t'ew parts that are arranged to be readily assembled.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and in which similar reference symbols indicate corresponding parts in the several views: H

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a vehicle wheel constructed in accordance with my present invention and showing cerline invention, consid .rably shorter in length than the spokes of present vehicle Wheels and carry on their outer ends a telly band 4. This telly band 4: is attached to the spokes in any common manner, such, for instance, as being perforated to fit over the,

reduced ends of the spokes 2 and being Shrunk thereon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented (lot. 15, Serial No. 243,021.

Over the telly band is placed a rim 5 having pairs of flanges G and T spaced apart circuinterentiall and axially of the wheel to form guides for sockets S projecting radially inward from a ring 9 concentric with the rim 5. The sockets S and areas inclosed by the several pairs of flanges 6 and 7 are arranged to receive coil springs 10 which are held in place and under suitable compres sion by heads 11 threaded and adjustably movable in threaded optunngs niade radially in said lllll The threaded openings 12 are arranged to be brought in alinenient with the spokes 2 when the rim 5 is assenibled on the telly band l in order that the strain may be transmitted through the springs 10 directly to the spokes 2 and thence to the hub 3.

The lllll 5 may be held in place on the telly band l iu any suitable manner, as for instance hy screws 1.3.

At 15 shown pins which .iroject front the threaded heads ll up throi gh the convolutions of the coil. sprines 10, in order that the latter may be h ld from possibledis-- placement and be guided in their coiuprer sion and expansion.

Over the outer ring 9 I place the tire l6, whch is preferably made of'iron or steel. an which is suitably rounded oil on its periphery or otherwise forn'ied in accordance with the purpose of its use. If desiredr the metal tire is may be covered with rubber or other suitable material to insure quiet running. is shown to ad ."antage in Figs. 2 and 3, the tire 16 is formed with lateral annular grooves 17 and 18 occupied by SllOlllders 19 and 20 formed on the outer sides of annular plates 1 and 22, which are free to slide over the flanges 6 and l" which projcct from the rim 5.

Caps 23 and 2-l are put on over the telly band l; and on the exterior of the plates 21 and 22 which act as guides for the latter, formingguideways between. the same and the flanges t3 and 7. Shoulders 25 and 26 are fOllTlSLl at the bases of the guideways by the caps and 24 in order to limit the inward movement of the plates 21 and .22. Thesecaps 23 and 24 are adapted to he held in place by countersunk screws 27 and 28 threaded into openings in the ends of pins 29 which lie in transverse openings in the run 5, which openings are arranged, concentrlcally and between the threaded radial openings 12. The plates 21 and 22 are held apart by spacing sleeves 30 through which pass pins 31 having their ends engaged in openings in said plates 21 and 22 as shown clearly in Fig. 3; the ends of the pins 31 being confined by the caps 23 and 2%.

The device may be assembled by fitting the ring 9 axially over the rim 5 after first bringing the sockets 8 in registry with the spaces between the pairs of flanges 6 and 7 carried by said rim. In this way the sockets 8 may readily enter between the flanges 6 and 7, and once the rim and ring are brought concentrically together either the rim or the ring may be rotated the one with respect to the other so as to bring the sockets 8 between the pairs of flanges 6 and 7. The coil springs 10 may now be introduced through the threaded openings 12, which is tollowed by screwing the heads 11 therethrough and compressing the springs therein to the required degree. The tire 16 may be now placed on the ring 9 and the plates 21 and 22 engaged therewith in the manner shown and above described at the same time putting the spacing sleeves 30 and pins 31 in place. The caps 23 and 24 are thereafter fitted. on the outside of the plates 21 and 22 and the screws 27 and 28 threaded in the pins :29, whereby the whole may be secured together. The parts thus assembled may be then slipped over the telly band 4, and the means employed to hold the same thereon may be then put in place. Of course the improved wheel may be assembled in any other order desired.

In use, as the vehicle travels along, the tire 16 or the rubber covering carried there by will roll along the roadway, and the coil springs ll) will be successively compressed by the weight of the vehicle when in contact with the road and expanded after passing out of contact with the road, and the adjustability in their compression admits of securing the desired resiliency. The plates 21 and willslide in the guidcways between the flanges (5 and 7 and the caps 23 and 24 as this'compression and expansion of the coil springs 10 takes place, and as the s 'irings are compressed the strain devolving thereon will be transmitted to the central hub 3 through the spokes 2. The coil springs 10 may be employed in any suitable num-' her in the wheel and may be spaced apart circumferentially to a desired distance, or assembled very closely together. The cn1- ployment of the twelve coil springs in com 1,2e1,eee

bination with the twelve spokes 2 of the wheel will be found to give good results.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such. features except as may be required by the claims.

I claim:

1. In an improved wheel of the character described, the combination of a central wheel structure having a folly band, a rim carried on said telly band, flanges projecting radially outward from said rim, said flanges being arranged in pairs, the flanges constituting each pair being spaced apart transversely, each pair of flanges being spaced circumferentially from the adjoining pairs of flanges, a ring, sockets carried by said ring and projecting radially inward therefronnsaid sockets adapted to be movable with said ring axially with respect to said rim when the parts are assembled and to enter through the circumferential spaces between adjacent pairs of flanges, the rim and sockets adapted to be rotated with respect to said rim to bring the sockets into the transverse spaces between the flanges of each pair, cushioning means disposed in said.

sockets and in the transverse spaces between the flanges, a tire, and means for holding the tire on said ring, substantially as described.

A wheel of the character described hi eluding a central wheel structure composed in part of a telly band, a rim mounted over said telly band, means for connecting said folly band and rim, flanges projecting radially outward from said rim, a ring eXtend ing about said rim, sockets projecting inwardly from said rim and entering spaces between said flanges, cushioning means arranged in said sockets and in the spaces between said flanges, a tire passing about said ring, plates tor holding said tire in position, said plates passing on the exterior of said flanges and having a sliding movement thereover, headless pins passing through said plates caps fitted on opposite sides of said plates and spaced from said flanges whereby to provide guidewutys for slidingly receiving said plates, the caps adapted to confine the pins in place, and means for holding said cap plates in position, substantially as described.

in testimony whereof, I atiix my signature.

A NAWiASlOS SllRlDAKIS. 

